Home

by | Dec 29, 2022

Catholic Dresses for Little Girls

Oct 25, 2022 | , , | 3 Comments

We’ve always loved the Catholic dresses and skirts from Miriam Rose & Co! Our baby girls have actually been wearing beautiful clothing made by Sharon, starting with her baby gowns, since they day they born. 

 
 
 
 
They were so excited to have two new dresses to wear to Mass this past Sunday! 
They just outgrew their adorable Lady Saints Leggings and Our Lady of Guadalupe Leggings so these are a perfect addition to their closet in honor of our Blessed Mother.
 
 
 
(And where did my baby go?! She looks so much older all of a sudden…) 
 
 
(The colors are perfect for each of them, with soft pink for our youngest! ) 
 
 
 
 
I’m so happy to see her shop open again and have a couple darling new dresses from her for our little ones.  Christmas is coming up fast so, if you want anything made for this year, now is the time to place an order. I even have a coupon code to share with you all!
 
SHOWEROFROSES will get you 10% OFF
 
 

PSA: Order Your Advent Candles Now

Oct 24, 2022 | , | 0 Comments

Advent begins at the end of next month and it’s time for my annual reminder to order Advent Candles for your Wreath. The dear nuns over at The Cloister Shoppe have them ready to ship and they tend to sell out for the season pretty quickly!

For many years now we have been ordering the beautiful 100% Beeswax hand-poured tapers, made by the Dominican Nuns at The Cloister Shoppe, for the wreath we light each night during dinner.
(Note: all links are affiliate links.) 
In these pictures you can see Joseph and Mary traveling down our Advent Path.  About five or six years ago I decided to create a path down the center of our table for Advent using the ornaments for each day. The first year was actually just a countdown path out doilies … the next year I incorporated our wooden Jesse Tree Ornaments from Jesse Tree Treasures.
I purchased our Our Lady of Guadalupe Candle from Clear Creek Abbey a couple years ago. I haven’t been able to bring myself to burn it but it makes a lovely addition to our Advent decorations.
I seriously can’t believe it’s the end of October again already, but looking at these pictures has me looking forward to Advent.
I try to plan ahead each year and order extra candles to have blessed on Candlemas (Feb 2) to have on hand for the new liturgical year and the following Advent.
In addition to the Advent Candles, some of my favorites have included: 
 
  • Beeswax Candles – You can’t go wrong with any of these! I replace our Advent Candles with Beeswax Candles for the Christmas season.
We usually have two Advent wreaths set up in our home for Advent.  
The taper Advent Candles are placed in an Advent Wreath on our dining room table and we light them during dinner each night.
We also have a larger wreath on the coffee table in the living room which we light during our family rosary each evening and leave it lit while unwrapping and reading from our annual Advent Book Basket.
I still really miss the pillar candles I bought for years from the Benedictine Monks… I currently use these 3×3 candles in purple and pink.  (Scroll through all Advent Wreath posts here.) 
One year I was feeling extra ambitious and hung our Advent Wreath like the Von Trapps! 
 
Our children have also really enjoy creating their own candles using this 100% Beeswax Advent Candle Kit from Illuminated Ink (pictured above). It’s such a fun Advent activity for children.
 
Speaking of Advent Wreaths…Advent Wreath Socks from Socks Religious are a lot of fun too!
I really enjoyed mine last year and can’t wait to pull them out again next month. 🙂
The dear nuns only make a limited quantity of Advent Candles. 
They tend to sell out very quickly each year so be sure to order them soon if you are interested! 
 
For more Advent Planning:  The Advent Season In Our Catholic Home

Grisley Grisell: A Tale of the Wars of the Roses

Oct 23, 2022 | , , , | 50 Comments

Industrious Family Films recently visited our parish for screening of their full length film followed by a meet and greet with the makers.  We weren’t able to attend but we watched Grisley Grisell: A Tale of the Wars of the Roses, a movie based on the novel by Charlotte M. Younge, on DVD this afternoon.
The production of Grisly Grisell admirably includes the entire family in its creation. It invites the audience to explore the lesser known intrigues of 15th century English monarchy.
I look forward to seeing what they come up with next!
.: Giveaway :. 
I have a set of three DVDs from Industrious Family Films to send to one of you! Please leave a comment on this post and enter for a chance to win using the Rafflecopter box below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway (removed link)

Giveaway closes on 10/28/2022 at 11:59PM PST. I’ll draw a name and notify the winner via the email provided though Rafflecopter on 10/29/22. Good luck!

Back-to-School :: 2022-2023

Oct 22, 2022 | , , | 16 Comments

It’s been well over a month now since we started the new school year, but I wanted to go back and add these pictures to the blog anyway. The kids love looking back at the archives to see the pictures from over the years…

Our Back-to-School Schultütes were pretty simple this year – each cone was filled with a new t-shirt and maybe one other thing, to go along with a new planner (high school students) or notebook (younger students) and a chocolate pencil!

I have gotten pretty quick at making the cones with a sheet of 12×12 card stock from my old craft supply stash, some white tissue paper, tape, a stapler, and some ribbon. 

This girl of ours has been taking online dual-enrollment classes from Franciscan over the past year and it was time for her to finally have some college swag of her own! 
She had also just received her acceptance letter from Franciscan for next fall!
She is still undecided and keeping options open at this point.
(This is actually her 4th semester – she took classes last fall, spring and summer and will continue with more classes in the spring. She has been taking additional dual-enrollment classes from another college as well.  I’ll try to blog more about this sometime soon.) 

 
A toob of WWII Army Men for Bud and, having just recently gotten home from her very first trip to the Ocean, our baby girl received a toob of baby sea animals!  
Some Alphabet Cookie Cutters and a t-shirt for her too (!!) which she was very happy to receive!
(I bought the Toobs and Cookie Cutters at Michaels with coupons.)
And there are those pictures I was missing!

..Back-to-School Pictures..
Chiquita :: 12th Grade 
Scout :: 9th Grade
Summer birthday so last year we decided to postpone high school until this school year.  Mainly for high school sports – he still gets high school credit for completing Algebra 1/Biology/etc last year – giving him four years starting this year to compete with the local high school.  He just finished golf season!  I’d rather not send any more 17 (or barely 18) year olds away to college. 

High School Golf Pictures 


Rose :: 7th Grade 
Bud :: 5th Grade 
Grace :: Kindergarten
With her summer birthday she may end up doing two years of Kindergarten.  I suspect she may have dyslexia/auditory processing challenges like her lookalike/oldest brother/godfather. I’d much rather hold her back and have her and her little sister go through school, particularly high school, together like our oldest two boys. We’ll see how it goes! Definitely thankful for the option of home educating and not really needing to define grade levels until they want to compete in high-school sports!
Joy :: Preschool
.: College Kids :. 

 
Even the boys sent me back to school pictures. Senior year!!! 
Our oldest is an RA this semester and also loving his internship. 
And our 20 year old will be DONE by Christmas break (a semester early) after a crazy 20 credit semester (including his capstone/thesis) all with his right hand in a (now at least removable) cast while recovering from a scaphoid break/surgery. Whew! He’ll return to campus in April for graduation with his older brother.
Our oldest daughter is taking a stop-gap for now and has been working and studying hard for her Insurance license. If you live in OR/WA/ID and would be willing to let her give you a free (no obligation) Home or Auto quote she would really love the extra practice!
September 4th – Just before driving him to the airport.  Our oldest had left a week earlier for RA training… missed getting a picture of everyone before summer camp started for the youngest two boys. 
Our oldest also picked up my slack by getting his brother/roommate back to school treats too! He sent me this picture and it made me so happy.  I loved some of the things he came up with when browsing the aisles at the grocery store! He said he was remembering back to this year.. #oldestchild
One FOOT in front of the other 🙂  – MOTTSIVATION
 Trident Your Best!!! – S’more Pop Tarts To HELP you study S’more 🙂 

.: Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary :. 

We ended the celebration with a birthday cake for our Blessed Mother! 
This sweet statue was a gift a friend brought me from her visit to Lisieux a few years ago. It’s a little replica of the Martin family’s treasured statue, “Our Lady of the Smile.” ♥

What a joy to remember that she [Mary] is our Mother! Since she loves us and knows our weakness, what have we to fear?

– St. Therese of Lisieux

Chili for a Crowd

Oct 21, 2022 | | 0 Comments

I was searching my blog for our Chili for a Crowd recipe and found that it was still tucked away with a couple hundred other draft posts that have never been finished… Time to finally hit that publish button! It’s not a meal that I can eat due to my food intolerances, but our kids love it, especially our teens and young adults. When we hosted the older boys’ high school soccer team’s end of season party, just before moving out Oregon in 2018, it was the meal they requested, along with cornbread and pumpkin pie.  It’s perfect for fall weather and I’ll be making it again soon for All Hallows’ Eve.

Chili for a Crowd

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 lbs ground beef
  • 2 chopped onions
  • 1/2 cup green peppers – chopped
  • 1/2 cup celery – chopped
  • 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
  • 3 cans (16 oz) diced tomatoes
  • 3 cans (16 oz) kidney beans
  • 1 tablespoon chili powder
  • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons oregano
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Directions: 

  1. Saute ground beef, onions, pepper, celery and garlic. Drain fat.
  2. Stir in remaining ingredients. Cook over medium heat until it comes to a boil – 5 to 8 minutes.
  3. Reduce heat to low. Simmer 30-40 minutes.
  4. Serves 10.

Note: When I don’t have fresh bell peppers on hand, I use the Melange a Trois (Red, Yellow & Green Bell Pepper Strips) from Trader Joe’s. So easy and convenient when I’m in a hurry and need bell peppers for a recipe. 

I usually follow the recipe as listed for just our family, or double this recipe when we are having company for dinner, and cook it in my beautiful cherry colored Staub Cast Iron 9-qt Round Cocotte.

Little Saints Preschool :: I Belong to God

Oct 19, 2022 | , , , , | 16 Comments

Little Saints Preschool – I Belong to God

The fourth time I started Little Saints: A Catholic Preschool Program with Classical Disciplines by Cynthia Blum back in 2016 I said:

I’m not sure how much of the Little Saints Preschool Program we will actually get to this year… However, considering it could very well be the last year we have a pre-schooler (our “baby” will turn five in December… how did that happen?!), I’m going to try and fit some of it into our schedule.

 
Not long after that I found out I was pregnant! It was my hardest pregnancy ever (hyperemesis gravidarum plus back/hip/walking issues) followed by my most sleep deprived year and a half ever... and then our first move with children and then another pregnancy! I survived it all, but we definitely didn’t get very far with all the fun preschool extras!
I’ve attempted Little Saints enough times now to know that it’s highly unlikely that we’ll ever get through all the themes (at this point I don’t think it’s actually possible outside of a school setting, or at least not for this mom of many), but I’m still planning to pull it out when I can this school year (in addition to Primary Arts of Language and Math) as a starting place for some themed unit studies featuring picture books, learning games, and arts & crafts for our littlest ones… and of course I’ll add in some fun snacks too!
Here are some pictures from our first theme in September:  I Belong to God.
.: Picture Books :. 
God is Love • A Child’s Book of Prayers
.: Learning Games :. 

In addition to “I Look Like… ” (using a mirror) and “I Sound Like…” (recording them answering questions) we also enjoyed a Photo Album Family History Tour. Next I pulled out the “Parts of the Body” Learning Game I cut out about twenty years ago… Can you believe I still have it?!

Parts of the Body
 
 
Who Does Jesus Love? Keepsake Card
(I guess I missed taking pictures of this one… Here are pictures from 2011.)
Child of God Matching Cards
(This matching game came with Little Saints.  
You can find a FREE PRINTABLE of my St. Joseph Memory Match in the archives.) 
.: Arts & Crafts :.
My Handprints
 
“Oh no! we have to get our hands dirty?!” 
Someone was super excited and someone was less than thrilled with that idea… 
 
 
I realized I had never introduced these too to finger paint before… Our 3 year old survived and realized it wasn’t quite as terrifying as she expected. We’ll have to try again sometime soon! Or maybe not…
The Heavenly Jerusalem
.: Snacks :. 
On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross – September 14th
 
Applesauce Spice Cross Cake
Ingredients:1 pkg Namaste Foods Spice Cake Mix
3 eggs
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
1 fresh apple, grated or chopped (skin left on is okay)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
Powdered Sugar (optional for dusting)

Directions:

Heat oven to 350˚ F. Grease and flour a cake pan. (I choose this Cross Shaped pan for the feast day.) Combine all ingredients and mix well. Bake for approximately 35-40 minutes. Cake is done when toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool for 5 minutes and remove from pan. Cool completely and then dust with powdered sugar.

*This cake can also be baked in a 9×13 pan for 35-40 minutes, a bundt pan for 45-50 min, or 2 -9″ round layers for 30-35 minutes. 

 
Eventually I hope to share more of what we’ve been up to this school year. This week, at least for these two, it’s continuing on in Primary Arts of Language, finishing up “Colors” and moving into “Fall is Here!” We are headed to the pumpkin patch this afternoon! 
I have called you by name… you are precious in my eyes, and honored, and I love you. – Isaiah 43: 1-4

State-by-State Baking :: Delaware Peach Galette

Oct 17, 2022 | , | 13 Comments

State-by-State Baking – Delaware Peach Galette

These two have been having a lot of fun in the kitchen this school year. They have made some fun things to go along with science and they also asked if they could bake their way through the states since everyone is studying American History this year at all the various levels including elementary, middle school, high school and even a dual-enrollment college course! I love it when that happens. 

Like their older sisters back in 2011, they too decided to choose a peach recipe for Delaware! Instead of Peach Cobbler they opted for Peach Galette! It turned out amazing. 

 
Delaware Notebooking Pages
by Rose (L) and Bud (R)
 
 
 
“The Spanish brought the peach to the New World,
a very bountiful fruit tree. 
The blooms became our state flower, 
so Peach blossom is our P.”
 
 
Delaware Peach Galette
(we used this Easy Peach Galette recipe) 
 
 
Ingredients: 
  • All-purpose flour, for dusting 
  • 2 refrigerated pie doughs (from one 14-oz box)
  • 1/2 c. granulated sugar2 tsp. ground cinnamon
  • 1 tbsp. plus 1 tsp. cornstarch
  • 6 medium peaches, pitted and sliced (about 6 cups)
  • 1 tbsp. lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp. heavy cream
  • 1 tbsp. coarse sugar (like turbinado)
  • Vanilla ice cream for serving (optional)
 
Directions:
 
 
On a lightly floured surface, unroll the two pie doughs. Overlap the dough by 3 inches to make a long, rectangular shape. Using a rolling pin, roll back and forth over just the center of the dough to bind them together, close the gaps between the two circles, and make it an even thickness.
 
 
 
Transfer to a large, parchment-lined baking sheet.
Preheat the oven to 425˚.
 
 
 
Combine the granulated sugar, cinnamon and cornstarch in a large bowl. 
Add the peach slices and lemon juice and toss gently to coat.
 

 

 

 
 
Arrange the peaches in a single layer on the pie dough, overlapping slightly, leaving a 1 ½-inch border. Fold the edges of the dough over the outer edge of the peaches, crimping every 3- to 4-inches, to keep the crust flat against the fruit. 
 
 
 
 
Brush the edges of the dough all over with heavy cream and sprinkle with coarse sugar. Drizzle ¼ cup of the liquid left in the mixing bowl over the peaches.
 
 
 
 
Bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 375˚ and bake for another 30 to 35 minutes, until the filling is bubbly and the crust is golden brown. 
 
 
 
 
Cool 5 minutes on the baking sheet, then slide the galette, on the parchment paper, to a cooling rack. Let cool at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce, if you like. 
 
 
 

DOWNLOAD + PRINT RECIPE HERE

Resources we used for this State Study:

F is for First State: A Delaware Alphabet
F is for First State Teacher’s Guide (pdf)
Delaware Notebooking Page from United States Maps

Additional Resources: 

Name that State File Folder GameUnited States Coloring Book

Our United States of America: Catholic Social Studies

How the States Got Their Shapes Season 1 and Season 2

Sequence States & Capitals

United States Puzzle (older version of this one) 

USA & Canada Geo Puzzle

Handwriting 5 for Young Catholics (contains basic facts for each state and more)

Other Posts of Interest:

State-by-State Scrapbook
State-by-State Scrapbook :: Delaware

State-by-State Baking :: Delaware Peach Crumble

Early October Daybook

Oct 7, 2022 | , , , , | 45 Comments

Early October Daybook – A beautiful anniversary bouquet from my husband! He said they reminded him of my wedding bouquet ♥

Outside my window…
I’m sitting at a little table next to one of the windows of Coeur d’Alene Coffee Co at the moment! Our 15 year old had a six hour shift at work and the older girls all encouraged me to spend sometime downtown, instead of driving back and forth today, and take advantage of the opportunity to catch up with work and maybe even put together a blog post or two… I think I remember how! 😉

I am thankful… 
Definitely thankful for everyone’s health and healing from all the little scares and injuries… It has been a year! The other morning, after driving my husband home from an early morning “trigger thumb” surgery (exercise injury that never healed) and while waiting at the pharmacy for his prescription, I started making a list of some of the medical issues this year…
  • January:  Covid again (hit me hardest and still dealing with fatigue, some of the kids were also sick), then (Chiquita) dislocated her knee again (second time for that knee, third time overall), plus bad bone contusion on foot (Twinkle Toes)…
  • February: Split chin that was able to be glued instead of stitches (15year old)
  • March:  I fell for the third time in a month due to dizziness (wondered if it was all triggered by January sickness?)… this fall, down a couple steps onto concrete garage floor, resulted in a hip injury plus a TFCC tear to right wrist and left me in a cast like brace for 2 months.  I’m still in Physical Therapy working on core strength and other issues.
  • Also March:  At that point I decided everyone needed to be caught up on Well-child visits… We have an amazing pediatrician who actually made a house-call for the appointments which was so awesome! Unfortunately those check ups led to an Echocardiogram for our baby girl (Joy – she is fine, but having dealt with possible heart surgery with Rose years ago, I was a little stressed…) as well as a spine x-ray for scoliosis for another daughter (she is still on the edge of mild and doesn’t need to do anything more at this time)… Then it was to the eye doctor for glasses (Chiquita).
  • April: My husband injured his left hand and was in a splint for awhile hoping that would fix the issue (it didn’t). Put the older girls back in PT for their different knee issues hoping to build muscle (one keeps dislocating her knees and the other had knee surgery last year for a torn meniscus/golf injury).
  • May: Braces (Rose)
  • June – The fourth the fifth knee dislocations for poor Chiquita… I switched her to my physical therapist and thankfully it hasn’t happened again since! If it does surgery may be in her future.
  • July: Rascal’s wrist was acting up, following a wrist injury in May of 2021… I sent him in for an x-ray… Scaphoid break that healed badly leaving a hole in the middle of it… Complicated surgery with a bone graft and 6-12 month recovery to follow… Two days before his surgery a friend accidentally hit him in the face with a ping pong paddle, cutting through his lip and breaking off that front tooth again! Ouch… Meanwhile my husband walked into a chair breaking his toe and James stepped on a wasp a day or two after returning from the Holy Land causing his whole foot to swell.  (Somewhere in here I started joking about needing to bubble wrap EVERYONE!)
  • August: Covid again – this time following a road trip to Oregon, mainly hitting our 15 year old and re-triggering extreme fatigue for me.  John’s cast came off and he moved into a removable cast till at Christmas, just in time for his final semester and writing that thesis! (right hand too, and he is right handed of course) He also stepped on a wasp and had his foot swell. It’s almost comical at this point!
  • September: Bee sting and strained back for me… switching back to some simpler PT exercises.
  • October: Our anniversary was Sunday and (Chiquita) our 17 year old made a lovely brunch after Mass. After serving everyone and filling her own plate, she accidentally dropped it with the edge hitting her big toe… I took her to the urgent care (not broken thankfully, but a subungual hematoma) and while we were there I had them x-ray her wrist too.  It had been hurting since a golf tournament two weeks prior…  Doc came in and said nothing about the toe but rather “So… tell me about what you did to that wrist?!”  Sprained and slight fracture! This girl has had the roughest year…  At that point I did start crying/laughing when she was getting her wrist fitted… The fourth this year!

I am thinking…
Pretty sure that list above has a lot to do with why I am so tired and overwhelmed this year… Trying to persevere and offer up all these extra little crosses, but it sure can be hard sometimes.

Learning all the time… 
Despite it all, our school year is off to a great start. I hope yours is too!

On the feast of St. Francis of Assisi
Our 17 year old loves having the audible version of A Patriot’s History of the United States and coloring while she listens to some of her reading assignments… She is also enjoying Flowers of Heaven: 1000 Years Of Christian Verse in her Poetry class. 
 
Celebrating the liturgical year…
St. Therese, Holy Guardian Angels, St. Francis of Assisi, Our Lady of the Rosary… So many favorite feast days this time of year!
I recently updated my list of October links! 
From the kitchen…
Our annual Michaelmas Cupcakes, Rose Cupcakes and a Keto Cheesecake for St. Therese, Apple Puff Pancakes for the feast of the Holy Guardian Angels, and our annual Wolf Paw Cookies for St. Francis of Assisi… this year it was all completely planned and pulled off by my older girls with no encouragement or direction from me!

I am working…
I am still working around 25 hours a week or so as Corporate Secretary and Treasurer for my dad and brother’s electrical business back in Oregon.  Hard to believe it has been six years since I went back to work but definitely grateful for the extra income, being able to work remotely, and the additional income to help pay college bills, medical bills, and some of the other “extras”.

I am creating…
a (very large) file folder with all of our digital pictures. I have been working on it for a couple months now and still not finished sorting through and moving them to one place from a few old computers and an external hard drive. I just take way too many pictures!I am going…
to try my best to start posting regularly again, but last time I said that life started spiraling out of control! I have so many things I would have loved to record here and just never seem to be able to make the time now that our children are adults down to toddlers and don’t all take an afternoon nap each day like they did when I first started blogging here over fifteen years ago. 😉

I am hoping…
we can make it through November and December without any more illnesses or injuries! 🙏🙏🙏

I am praying…
the rosary, especially during this month of October which is dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary.

I am reading…
lots of fables and picture books to our littlest two.  We have been working on Primary Arts Language as well as some of the themes in the Little Saints Preschool Program and they love every minute of it!
Pondering these words…
from Joy in Suffering which I happened to pick up during my husband’s Holy Hour on our anniversary (which is sandwiched on the day in between the new and traditional feasts of dear St. Therese) last Sunday.  We didn’t get to go out to dinner or anything, but the adoration hour together was perfect!

Suffering itself becomes the greatest of all joys when we seek it as a precious treasure. – St. Therese
My joy I find in pain and loss, 
I love the thorns that guard the rose;
With joy I kiss each heavy cross,
And smile with every tear that flows. 
– St. Therese

Around the house and One of my favorite things…
I love finding pictures on my phone or camera that one of our children took!

Photo credit: Chiquita
Thank you, Chiquita, for teaching these two all about St. Francis this year!  They got to watch Francis: Knight of Assisi, color pictures she printed for them, and decorate Wolf Paw Cookies with her even though I wasn’t able to be home much that day. ♥
This week’s plans…
Golf season just ended for our two high schoolers (it was moved to fall this school year!) and pre-season Hockey just started for the boys. We have another full week coming up with work, homeschooling, and a number of other things:
  • Attending a wedding on Saturday
  • Dinner with friends on Sunday
  • Catechism on Monday
  • Hockey on Wednesday
  • Physical Therapy on Thursday
  • Haircuts for older girls on Friday
  • Bridal Shower next Saturday!

A little peek at our anniversary…

 
(Chiquita) surprised us with Apple Puff Pancakes for brunch after Mass, and (Twinkle Toes) baked rose cupcakes and cheesecake for us to discover when we came home from adoration. They gave us beautiful cards too. We sure love this family of ours!

Holy Land Pilgrimage Part 8 – Kerak Castle Crusader Fortress

Oct 7, 2022 | , , , | 7 Comments

Here is part eight and the final part of the series of posts James is sharing all about his pilgrimage to the Holy Land this past summer! You can find the rest here: 

Day 13: Wednesday, July 20  
Travel day to Amman. Departing Wadi Musa, we will visit Kerak Castle, one of the largest crusader fortresses in the Holy Land dating to c.1140. From there, it will be a scenic drive back to Amman for check-in at our hotel. Dinner and overnight in Amman.

On our drive to the hotel that we were going to stay in for our (Israel time) 3AM flight, we drove through where some Bedouins were held up.

“Bedouins, a semi-nomadic group of desert dwellers who traversed the sands are the oldest inhabitants of the Arabian desert. Known for their resourcefulness and hospitality, the Bedouins survived harsh weather conditions and lived in difficult environments.”

Crazy that people still live like this! 

Also saw some camels out in the wild. 
I missed out on riding one in Petra… Just ran out of time. 

Next we had Mass in a super sketch part of town. 
I was surprised there was even a Catholic church over here. 

After Mass we went and toured a Crusader Fortress! 
DEUS VULT!! 

Soooo cool! 

No one coming up this wall. 



One part of the kitchen…

 

More halls… So cool to imagine knights and other medieval folk walking down these halls just going about their daily life!



The prison… As a Criminal Justice major I thought this was SUPER cool!!!!


This would have been the chapel area!
The views though!
Still a little confused as to how this place got taken over…



Not the worst place to spend a birthday! 22 today! 

 

A couple of the guys in our group offered to buy me a drink to celebrate. 
Great way to spend our last night overseas!

Day 14: Thursday, July 21
Departure day for the US: early morning transfer by our private bus to Queen Alia Airport for the return flight home.



After 3AM Mass we headed to the airport to leave for the U.S. 

Back Stateside! 

 

Wwwelp… due to delays, our group missed our connection in San Francisco. 
I want to be home already… As I have learned multiple times on this trip tho, 
“In all things give thanks!” 

First time in Seattle… (that I remember) 
Finally touched down in Spokane around 7 (Pacific Time) – Glad to be HOME!

Just as the Israelites wandered the desert for 40 years before reaching the Promised Land, we “wandered” the airports for about 40 hours before arriving home… If that doesn’t complete a pilgrimage I don’t know what does!
Thank you to everyone who played a part in making this possible, whether by your prayers or financial support! After the generous gift from my godfather, my parents, and all the additional gifts from your generous support through Go Fund Me, Venmo and PayPal, I ended up only $2,217 short from being able to pay for the pilgrimage, and that was able to come out of my summer jobs/college funds for this school year! Between working hard these past few summers, my scholarships, grants and need-based aid, work study, and a lot of help from my parents, I’ve made it to senior year without having taken out any student loans, so if I end up with one small loan for second semester of senior year it shouldn’t be too hard to pay off after graduation! 

Such an incredible once in a lifetime experience! I will never forget this trip! 

Hope ya’ll enjoyed following along with me!
I really enjoyed being able to share it!!! 

Holy Land Pilgrimage Part 7 – Petra

Sep 27, 2022 | , , , | 4 Comments

Here is part seven of the series of posts James is sharing about his pilgrimage to the Holy Land this summer! You can find the rest here: 

Day 11: Monday, July 18
Travel day to Jordan. After crossing the Jordan River on the Allenby Bridge/King Hussein Crossing, we will drive through the Jordanian desert up the mountains of Moab to Mount Nebo, where Moses saw the Promised Land before he died (Deut. 34). In Madaba, we’ll visit St. George’s Church to see the oldest extant map of the Holy Land, a 6th century mosaic; and then we’ll visit a modern mosaic workshop to see how mosaics are made in the same tradition. After lunch, we’ll drive through the desert towards Wadi Musa (the Spring of Moses) and Petra. On the way, if there is time, we will see the fortress of Machaerus where St. John the Baptist was imprisoned. Dinner and overnight in Wadi Musa.


All packed up to leave Jerusalem… Next destination, Jordan. 

 
Got up early to see the sunrise over Jerusalem. Was a little sad leaving this beautiful city. 
May or may not have teared up when I was on the rooftop watching the sunrise. 

The area where Jesus places the story of the Good Samaritan. Jesus uses this area in his story because the person who fell among robbers would have given up all hope of receiving help because no one would travel in this desolate countryside. That’s why it’s so horrible that the priest and the Levite that “by chance” saw the “half dead” man and did absolutely nothing in way of helping this poor man who most likely thought he was going to be saved when he saw the priest and Levite coming down the road. It made me think of the times that I may have walked on the other side and not helped my fellow brother or sister in Christ 

“Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road; and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion, and went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; then he set him on his own beast and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'”
Crossing into Jordan
It was an absolute hassle with all the security that we had to go through. I mean it wasn’t horrible, but still it wasn’t fun.  

The place where Moses looked over the promised land…
Sure doesn’t look very promising if I’m completely honest. 😜
We also had Mass on top of this mountain which was cool! 

This is a church in Madaba, a city that prides itself in their mosaics.

Their famous Madaba Mosaic Map
Thought theses two pictures convey a neat perspective of the streets in the Middle East.
Not much else for the day other than a three hour bus ride to our next hotel.

Day 12: Tuesday, July 19
We will spend the day exploring Petra (Isaias 16:1), once a thriving center of trade and commerce, and the place where the Magi acquired their gold, frankincense and myrrh on their way to adore the Lord. It was the capital of Arabia Petraea, the “Arabia” where St. Paul spent three years after his conversion (Gal. 1:17-18) and began his ministry to the Gentiles. It became a holy place of martyrdom under the persecution of Diocletian at the beginning of the 4th century, hosted numerous Church councils and synods after 343, and eventu- ally converted entirely to Christianity after a miraculous rainfall sent by God in 423 to end a four-year drought, at the prayers of the holy monk Bar Sauma (Son of Fasting) and his forty compan- ions. We will have a chance to learn about the local bedouin culture here, as well as reflect on salvation history, evangelization and the spiritual desert, and the importance of daily conversion. Afterwards we’ll visit Moses’ Spring, where Moses struck the rock and water came forth (Num. 20:1-13), and Mount Hor and the Tomb of the holy Prophet Aaron (Num. 20:22-29). Dinner and last night in Wadi Musa.



This hotel is crazy. Just woke up and took this picture, 
I’ll have to share more pics after we get back tonight!

Gonna go spend the day in Petra!

A couple pics of the place we are staying. They took the ruins/layout of an old town and turned them into hotel rooms! They’re obviously not the original stones and stuff but the layout defiantly feels like an old city. Super cool! Definitely going to hit the pool when we get back.


Ready to get this show on the road!


Also… new fit for the desert. 


Time for some exploring! 

This is the original stone that the Romans put in because of its frequent travel usage due to being out of the heat of the sun.

Indiana Jones soundtrack definitely started playing in my head. 😜😂
It’s so crazy to think that people carved these temples and tombs out of a heckin’ mountain!!!! Insane what can be done with effort and determination. 

So many cool caves and carved temples!!

This was an old Greek Orthodox church that was used during the crusades. 

  Ran into some goats while hiking the surrounding areas.

So many cool sights! Made for some good exploring/hiking.

 

Was really looking forward to riding a camel but we just ran out of time. Still super cool seeing so many of them all saddled up and being ridden. 

 
Pictured left is me and this incredibly fun lady from our parish who was my hiking buddy. Pictured right is another shot of the street of hotel rooms. 


Got my swim in! Felt so good after hiking around for 3 hours in 104 degree weather. 



Such a FUN day!!! So sad this trip is almost over. 😢


Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-24, Ranger-23, Twinkle Toes-21, Chiquita-20, Snuggles-17, Rose-15, Bud-13, Grace-7 and Joy-5 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

Please Visit My Sponsors…

This Week's Popular Posts

Shower of Roses Affiliate Links

All About Spelling
All About Reading
All About Reading Giveaways
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our Advent & Christmas Books

Shower of Roses Gift Guides

Looking for Something?

looking-back

  • ▼2025 (8)
  • ►2024 (41)
  • ►2023 (30)
  • ►2022 (48)
  • ►2021 (48)
  • ►2020 (57)
  • ►2019 (61)
  • ►2018 (90)
  • ►2017 (128)
  • ►2016 (148)
  • ►2015 (172)
  • ►2014 (227)
  • ►2013 (238)
  • ►2012 (308)
  • ►2011 (297)
  • ►2010 (313)
  • ►2009 (486)
  • ►2008 (564)
  • ►2007 (148)

Posts About:

Shower of Roses Alphabet of Saints

A Papal Unit Study & Lap Book

Shower of Roses Easter Gift Guides



All Saints Party Printables

All original photographs and written material are ©2007-2025 Shower of Roses. I'd love for you to link back to me, but please do not copy or take content from this blog without permission. Click here for my Copyright Terms & Conditions. Thank you for visiting!

0 Comments

Prayer of Mothers

Father in heaven, grant me the grace to appreciate the dignity which you have conferred on me. Let me realize that not even the Angels have been blessed with such a privilege—to share in your creative miracle and bring new Saints to heaven. Make me a good mother to all my children after the example of Mary, the Mother of your Son. Through the intercession of Jesus and Mary I ask your continued blessings on my family. Let us all be dedicated to your service on earth and attain the eternal happiness of your kingdom in heaven. Amen.


Our Family

Sean & Jessica, Captain-24, Ranger-23, Twinkle Toes-21, Chiquita-20, Snuggles-17, Rose-15, Bud-13, Grace-7 and Joy-5 (blog nicknames)

A Little About Me

Hi! I'm Jessica, a Roman Catholic wife and home educating mother to our nine children. I was home educated myself, along with my eleven younger siblings. I have a special devotion to St. Therese, through whom I have been given much help and many blessings--the beautiful "Shower of Roses" that she has sent my way! Here I will record a few of the blessings I treasure. Please remember that what you see here is just a little glimpse at our lives, so please say a prayer for us, as we continue to strive for holiness.

My Other Blog: Catholic Cuisine

Please Visit My Sponsors…

This Week's Popular Posts

Shower of Roses Affiliate Links

All About Spelling
All About Reading
All About Reading Giveaways
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Our Advent & Christmas Books

Shower of Roses Gift Guides

Looking for Something?

looking-back

  • ▼2025 (8)
  • ►2024 (41)
  • ►2023 (30)
  • ►2022 (48)
  • ►2021 (48)
  • ►2020 (57)
  • ►2019 (61)
  • ►2018 (90)
  • ►2017 (128)
  • ►2016 (148)
  • ►2015 (172)
  • ►2014 (227)
  • ►2013 (238)
  • ►2012 (308)
  • ►2011 (297)
  • ►2010 (313)
  • ►2009 (486)
  • ►2008 (564)
  • ►2007 (148)

Posts About:

Shower of Roses Alphabet of Saints

A Papal Unit Study & Lap Book

Shower of Roses Easter Gift Guides



All Saints Party Printables

All original photographs and written material are ©2007-2025 Shower of Roses. I'd love for you to link back to me, but please do not copy or take content from this blog without permission. Click here for my Copyright Terms & Conditions. Thank you for visiting!